By: Doyeun Park
Becoming a doctor is a tediously long process; it consists of 4 years of medical school, one year of internship, and 3-7 years of residency. There are even some who choose to further refine their skills in a field for 1-3 years, by partaking in a process called fellowship.
What is fellowship? Fellowship is a process in which the doctors train in a specialized area. For example, a cardiovascular surgeon may become specialized in fetal heart surgery. Fellows can be an attending physician or a consultant physician, but only upon completing their fellowship training. Being a fellow is a goal amongst many medical students, however, not all students are offered this opportunity. Only the brightest and the best, the cream of the crop, are offered this training.
After 3-7 years of residency, more studying and training may be the last things that any medical student wants to do. However, the benefits that doing so may bring are extensive. For example, doctors who become more specialized generally earn more money. According to the 2018 Medscape Physician Compensation Report, average specialists make $106,000 more than general physicians’ salary. Moreover, according to studies, fellows demonstrated better academic productivity, clinical productivity, enhanced clinical expertise, and more recruitments.
Before starting a fellowship, there are several questions to consider. To start off: is focusing on a narrower path ideal for your medical career? According to Merril Krolick, DO, an interventional cardiology program director in Florida, he says that prospective fellows need to be enthusiastic and passionate about the specific field that they’re going to study in order to succeed in the future. Another question to account for is: do you have a lot of knowledge about the specialty? Before spontaneously choosing a field, it’s important to understand the procedures and rigor of the field. Furthermore, will you be able to handle the lifestyle? As aforementioned, fellowship lasts for 1-3 years, and the hours per day varies. However, most importantly, future fellows need to be flexible with their hours. They should be able to answer calls in the middle of the night and be able to cover for their colleagues at any given time.
Fellowship is a great opportunity for medical students. It allows them to discover their passion in a specialized field and truly submerge themselves in their passion. Fellowship comes with numerous benefits such as: a higher salary, better performance, and enhanced medical knowledge. There are reservations that one may have when considering a fellowship, but a fellowship does have a most distinct potential to enrich and educate.
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